Such exhaust-gas recirculation modules are known. They serve to reduce pollutants in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. For this purpose, there is usually provided, downstream of the exhaust manifold, a junction where the exhaust-gas discharge conduit branches off from the exhaust-gas recirculation conduit. The closer the exhaust-gas recirculation conduit is arranged toward the motor block, however, the higher the temperature of the exhaust gas will be, which in this area can still be about 700° C. Particularly when use is made of electromotorically driven exhaust-gas recirculation valves, the above effect will lead to a thermal overstressing of the electric motor and of the control unit of the electric motor, respectively.
This problem is circumvented by an arrangement as described in CN 101526048 A where, in the in-flow direction of the exhaust gas, a pre-cooler is arranged upstream of the exhaust-gas recirculation valve by which the exhaust gas is cooled to a temperature within the allowable range of the thermal stress of the actuator of the exhaust-gas recirculation valve. The temperature will thereby remain high enough to prevent a too massive soot deposition on the exhaust-gas recirculation valve. The disclosed use of two individual cooling devices which, respectively, via tube conduits, are connected to an intermediate exhaust-gas recirculation valve, will nonetheless result in a high constructional space requirement and a high expenditure for assembly.